


The Place Where Dreams Come True

by therumjournals



Category: Star Trek RPF
Genre: Disney, Disney World, Fluff, M/M, Pinto, Princes & Princesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-25
Updated: 2012-03-25
Packaged: 2017-11-02 11:57:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/368738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therumjournals/pseuds/therumjournals
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zach and Chris meet in the happiest place on earth. (Disney World AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Place Where Dreams Come True

Zach was staring intently into the mirror, so focused on making sure he was applying his eyeliner evenly that he almost stabbed himself with the pencil when the door of the dressing room slammed open.

“Jesus, Naya, cutting it a little close, aren’t you?” he asked once he’d recovered, his tone one of playful annoyance.

“Fuck you, Quinto. I’d like to see you drag yourself out of bed on four hours of sleep after a night of cheap whiskey shots with Captain Jack Sparrow.”

“Now, now,” Zach chided, turning to watch her untangle her costume from its hanger. “That’s no way for a Disney princess to talk. Wait, you went out with Parker? I thought he was gay.”

Naya gave him a look. “I highly doubt it.” She turned to shimmy into her flowing blue pants, glancing at him over her shoulder. “We did more than just shots.”

“You’re such a whore,” Zach said wistfully. 

“Thanks. How do I look?”

Zach gave her a once over, admiring her flat stomach and checking to make sure her boobs weren’t overflowing the rather revealing top. “I don’t remember Jasmine’s face being that puffy.”

“Fuck you.” She tossed him his fez, which he fastened expertly to his hair with four bobby pins. “Now come on. Let’s go make children smile and middle-aged women wet their panties.”

Zach made a face, and followed her out into the hot blast of Orlando air.

They smiled and waved as they walked quickly through Adventureland, ducking under the arc of water being spat from the mouth of a golden camel as they circled the Magic Carpets of Aladdin ride. A line had already begun to form next to the sign that read “Meet Aladdin and Jasmine, 10:00–11:00,” and they took their places as a harried-looking attendant with a superficial grin gave an exaggerated glance at her watch. 

Sounds of cheering floated across the plaza , and Zach squinted to catch a glimpse of Captain Jack Sparrow striding onto the stage in front of an excited crowd. “Are you _sure_ Parker’s not gay?” Zach asked through his teeth.

Naya tipped her head toward Zach and smiled as the attendant ushered the first few kids toward them. “The earrings are deceiving. And we _need_ to get you laid, honey.”

After that, they turned their attention to the endless stream of eager children clutching autograph books, families dressed in matching t-shirts, honeymooning couples, and groups of giggling teenage girls maneuvering to stand next to Zach. 

Truthfully, Zach found the 10 AM appearances to be the most bearable. The sun wasn’t yet hot enough to have him sweating beneath his foam-rubber abs, and the kids had a good few hours to go before their mid-afternoon meltdowns. His cheeks weren’t yet aching from the strain of grinning enthusiastically into every camera pointed his way, so his smiles were still mostly genuine. Unlike Naya, who’d taken the job at Disney World to save up for grad school and, apparently, to pick up guys, Zach was there because he loved to perform, because he knew all the lyrics of every Disney song ever written, and because he was the only Aladdin whose hair was so perfect that he didn’t even need to wear a wig beneath his jaunty fez. 

And of course, there were other perks, he mused, as he waved goodbye to a sticky-faced toddler and turned to find himself gazing into the most beautiful blue eyes he’d ever seen. He stared, his smile faltering, and suddenly the sun seemed a little warmer. Naya gave his arm a subtle squeeze to snap him out of it, and he blinked hard, which only resulted in his gaze flicking down to rest on plump pink lips. Sharp nails dug into his wrist, and he was finally able to look away, down to where Naya was crouching beside an adorable, gap-toothed girl in a silver wheelchair.

“Princess Jasmine!”

“Hi, sweetie! What’s your name?”

“Sierra.”

“Are you a princess, Sierra?” Zach asked, bending down. “That’s a lovely tiara you have there.”

Sierra grinned and reached up to touch the plastic tiara, secured over a pink bandana that covered her head. Her cheeks were pink, and she squirmed around in her chair to look up at the guy who stood behind her, hands resting loosely on the handles of her chair. Zach followed her line of vision to Mister Blue-Eyed Hotlips himself, and he felt his own cheeks flush. 

“Go ahead, Sierra,” Hotlips encouraged her. He met Zach’s eyes and winked. “Aladdin’s her favorite.”

“Is that so?”

At Sierra’s shy nod, Zach grinned and leaned in close. “Well, guess what - you’re _my_ favorite.” He glanced at Naya out of the corner of his eye. “Don’t tell Jasmine.”

“I heard that,” Naya said, with just the right amount of indignation. Sierra giggled, and Zach risked a glance up to see if her attractive friend was smiling, too. Their eyes met again, and Zach felt his heart do a backflip. He was already crushing hard on this guy, so when he finally noticed the Wishgranters logo stretched across his snug-fitting teal t-shirt, he was pretty sure he was in love. 

“Are you having fun at Disney World?” Zach asked. He always tried to spend a little extra time with the Wishgranters kids – whether or not their volunteers looked like they’d fallen straight out of an Abercrombie and Fitch catalogue – so he kept up a running conversation as he and Naya signed Sierra’s autograph book. “What’s your favorite thing so far? Besides me, of course.”

Sierra giggled, then looked thoughtful. “Ummm…Pirates!”

“Oooh, Pirates of the Caribbean! That’s a fun ride. Not too scary for you?”

Sierra shook her head. 

“Have you seen the show yet?”

“We’re heading over there next,” her companion chipped in. 

Zach looked up to catch his eye. “Please don’t,” he joked. “That Captain Jack Sparrow is quite the charmer, and I don’t want to be replaced as Sierra’s favorite.” He wondered if he was imagining the hint of interest in the bright blue eyes, and he glanced away. “Heck, even Jasmine here’s got a little crush on him.”

Naya smiled serenely, but he could see her eyes sparking with the litany of retorts she was holding back. Man, sometimes he really loved this job.

“I hope you guys plan to come to the Celebration Parade at noon – we love to have our fans in the audience.” 

He handed Sierra back her autograph book, in which he’d written, “To Princess Sierra, Love, your friend Aladdin,” then he and Naya posed with her for a picture. 

Sierra wiggled in her chair and reached for the camera. “Now Chris be in one!” she said excitedly. Zach felt a small thrill at finding out his name. The Disney attendant offered to take a picture of the four of them, and Zach tried not to hyperventilate as _Chris_ stood beside him and slid an arm around his waist. Zach slung an arm around Chris’s shoulders – in character, of course – as the camera captured his 100% genuine smile.

“Celebration Parade, huh?” Chris said, his arm lingering after the camera clicked.

“Yep. Noon.”

“It’s a date.”

Then he was walking away, grabbing the camera and pushing the wheelchair away. 

“Farewell, Princess,” Zach called after them.

“Farewell,” Chris called back. Zach’s grin widened as he heard Sierra piping up from her chair, “No, _I’m_ the princess!”

He had to strain to hear Chris’s response – “No, I’m pretty sure he was talking to me” – before he turned back to face Naya’s knowing look. He would have blushed if his skin wasn’t already burning, but instead he gave a rueful shake of his head and mumbled something about needing a cold shower.

Naya looked down the line of excited children and families that now stretched beyond their sight, probably all the way into Frontierland by now. “Sorry, sweetie. You’ve got a looong day ahead of you.”

** OOO **

Chris kept an eye on the growing crowd as he licked at the trail of ice cream making its way down the back of his hand. The Florida sun was high in the clear blue sky, and though they’d managed to find a patch of shade, the heat was taking its toll on their Mickey Mouse popsicles. Sierra’s face was a grinning mess of vanilla and chocolate, and Chris’s heart lurched as he was once again reminded why he loved being a Wishgranter.

After their encounter with Aladdin, they’d met up with the rest of Sierra’s family – her mom and two brothers, Tyler and Sean. In addition to handling logistics, Chris’s role as a volunteer was to make it as easy as possible for Sierra and her family to enjoy their trip. He’d offered to take Sierra to visit her favorite characters so Mrs. Reed could finally indulge the boys’ pleas to go on a few of the “big kid” rides. And to be quite honest, he'd enjoyed every second of their morning together.

Together now, the five of them made their way across the park toward the parade route. If Chris had his way, he’d have been waiting on the curb 45 minutes ago, securing front row seats to the show. But he knew that it was important to keep Sierra in the shade and away from the crowd noise for a little longer, in case she needed to rest, so he’d helped them find this spot and tried to relax a little himself as they ate their much-needed snacks.

Chris heard the first strains of music coming from the other end of Main Street, and his heart started pounding a little faster. He quickly slurped the last of the ice cream from his popsicle stick and stood, encouraging Sierra’s brothers to do the same. He’d had his eye on a gap in the crowd, so he grabbed the handles of Sierra’s wheelchair and led them decisively toward it. The crowd parted just enough to let them make their way to the curb, and Chris breathed a sigh of relief. He felt slightly ridiculous for being so excited about the opportunity to catch another glimpse of Aladdin, but he couldn’t help himself. Hell, watching _Aladdin_ at the age of 12 was basically how he’d come to the realization that he was gay – though it hadn’t been until years later that he finally admitted to himself that the Jasmines of the world did absolutely nothing for him.

They waved up at Mickey and Minnie as the first float passed by them. Chris recognized the music as the Disney World theme song that had been playing out of every hidden speaker in the park for the past three days. Next up was The Little Mermaid float, and Chris crouched down next to Sierra to point up at it. “Look, Sierra, who is that?” 

“It’s Sebastian!” Sierra cried, clapping her hands together.

“And who’s that?” Chris asked, pointing to the fat blue fish beside him. “Is that Nemo?”

“No!” Sierra said, rolling her eyes in the way that only an exasperated six-year-old can.

“Oh, duh, it’s Dory, right?” 

“No, it’s _Flounder_!!”

“Oh, _Flounder_ , I am so sorry, how could I forget!” Chris said, slapping himself on the forehead. 

Sierra giggled and shook her head. “Chris, you’re silly!”

“I am, I am so silly.” As he bantered with Sierra, Chris kept his eye on the rest of the parade, wondering when Aladdin might appear. Pinocchio’s float was in front of them now, and he could see Baloo and King Louie from The Jungle Book just behind them. He was craning his head to see what came next, trying not to appear too impatient, when a sound like the scratch of a record crackled through the speakers, interrupting the cheerful Disney theme.

“What happened?” Sierra asked. Chris was wondering the same thing, when suddenly they heard a familiar voice over the speakers, singing -

_“Gotta keep, one jump, ahead of the breadline, one swing, ahead of the sword-“_

Chris and Sierra glanced at each other in awe, then Chris was up on his feet, scanning the parade route. “Over there!” he said excitedly, pointing toward the front, where Aladdin had appeared on top of Mickey and Minnie’s float. He paused to sing the next line, eyes twinkling at the audience – _”I steal, only what I can’t afford – That’s everything!”_

He scrambled down off the float, and gave an exaggerated glance behind him, where two cartoonishly menacing figures were dancing and whirling with foam swords.

 _”One jump, ahead of the lawmen, that’s all, and that’s no joke”_

He bobbed and weaved around the Little Mermaid, avoiding a snap of Sebastian’s claws. He was getting closer to where they stood, now scrambling up onto Pinocchio’s float for a bit of choreographed acrobatics. He jumped and spun, ducked, rolled, and came up in a crouch, and Chris could have sworn their eyes locked for just a second before Aladdin stood, catching his foot on something and tripping forward. For one perilous moment, he seemed to teeter on the edge of the float. The crowd gasped out loud, Chris included, but then Aladdin leapt gracefully to the ground, and the audience laughed in delighted relief, realizing it had all been for show.

Behind him, the guards sang as they slashed through the air. Chris assumed they’d move on to the next float in line, so he was taken by surprise when Aladdin stepped off the parade route and into the audience. He was close, only a few people away, and Chris felt his body tensing, skin growing hot as he watched Aladdin step nimbly through the crowd. 

_”One jump, ahead of the slowpokes-“_ Suddenly, Aladdin was right beside them, crouching next to Sierra, a hand on Chris’s hip as if to steady himself as he peered around the wheelchair, the crowd around them laughing at his antics. _”One skip, ahead of my doom.”_ For a moment everything seemed to move in slow motion, giving Chris time to register the brush of a thumb across his hip, the warmth of the long fingers that seemed to press lightly into his skin. He sucked in a breath, and the world was back again, the music louder, the colors brighter, and Aladdin was two floats away already, climbing up to sit beside a blushing Cinderella. 

He felt a tug on his hand and looked down to see Sierra beaming up at him in wide-eyed wonder. “Aladdin came here!” she said, in awe. 

Chris nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Had he been imagining things, or had Aladdin really seen him, picked him out of the crowd, _squeezed his hip_? It had to be a coincidence, right? Something he did every day, probably without even thinking about it, just part of the routine. Still, that didn’t stop Chris’s heart from racing, his skin from tingling, his – he hopped a little in place. No. He was _not_ going to let Aladdin give him a boner.

The parade continued, and Chris nodded absently as Sierra chatted about the various characters passing in front of them. He swore he could still feel the touch of long fingers against his hip. Just when he’d almost recovered, when he could finally tear his mind away from those dark eyes and long legs and focus on the world around him, the final float approached. 

“Look, look, it’s the magic carpet!” Sierra exclaimed. Chris had to bite back a curse as, sure enough, he spotted the Genie waving to the crowd from the helm of the Aladdin float. Behind him, perched on the top, sat Princess Jasmine, and beside her Aladdin, this time in princely garb, a flowy white number topped off with an elaborate turban. 

“Jasmine, Jasmine!” Sierra called, waving so frantically that Chris had to put a hand on her chair to keep it stable as the float drew closer. He wondered if maybe Jasmine would recognize them from earlier that morning, but when she smiled and waved in their direction her eyes danced across the sea of people without recognition. Chris dared a glimpse at Aladdin. His dark eyes roamed over the crowd, alighting on Sierra, and he gave Jasmine a nudge. She gave a genuine smile and waved cheerfully at Sierra, sending her into such a frenzied excitement that Chris had to steady the wheelchair with both hands. Aladdin blew them a kiss toward them, and Chris felt his cheeks go hot. He was still wondering if he’d imagined the wink thrown in his direction long after the float had passed and the crowd had begun to disperse. 

“Where should we go next?” Chris asked as they strolled down the street back toward the attractions. 

“Splash Mountain!” Sierra and her brothers answered in an enthusiastic chorus. 

“Alright, alright,” Chris agreed. They’d ridden Splash Mountain approximately seven times the day before, and he’d ended up so sopping wet that he’d had to buy a Buzz Lightyear hoodie to stay warm. Still, he was fine with going again, if it would make Sierra happy.

Not to mention, he could do with a cold shower right about now.

** OOO **

Zach scanned the crowd from his perch on the low stone wall that ran along the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. His shift had ended an hour ago, and somehow his route out of the park had taken him here, right near where he knew the Wishgranters shuttle buses picked up passengers. He’d been watching the guests stream out of the exits for the last forty-five minutes, mildly surprised at how many wheelchair-bound kids wearing pink bandanas apparently visited Disney World every day. He was on the verge of giving up and heading home when he noticed another group strolling toward the shuttle. A woman was pushing the wheelchair, but just behind her he caught a glimpse of broad shoulders and an unmistakable teal Wishgranters t-shirt. Zach grabbed his backpack and hopped off the wall, too intent on catching up with them to remember to be nervous.

“Chris!”

He made his way through the crowd and gave a small wave as Chris turned to see who had called his name. He saw Chris’s brow furrow in confusion, and remembered that he was out of his costume and wearing a baseball cap, that he now looked like a random stranger bumping people aside as he approached.

He watched Chris scrutinizing him as he got closer. Then the crowd jostled him into Chris’s personal space, and Zach saw his eyes light up in startled recognition. “Aladdin?!”

“Would it ruin the magic if I told you my name was Zach?” Zach asked with a grin.

“Uh…” Chris seemed caught off guard for a second, blinking in surprise. Then his eyes flicked down over Zach’s body and back up again, and he licked his lips and smiled. “No,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “Pretty sure the magic’s still there.” 

Zach glanced to the side, where he could see Sierra and her family moving farther away. “Look, I know you have obligations, and you probably can’t…this is really crazy, actually, but…can I give you my number? I mean, if you have time, or if you live nearby, maybe-“

“Sure.”

Zach was taken aback for a second. “Really?”

“Yeah, give me your number, that would be great. Maybe I can text you, find out where you’re going to be. I, uh…I know Sierra really wants to see you again.”

Zach grinned at that. “Does she?”

Chris met his eyes and the world around them seemed to disappear for a moment. “Yeah. She really does.”

Zach swallowed, and Chris tore his gaze away, straining to see where Sierra and her family had gotten to. Zach quickly pulled out the pen and paper he’d stuck in the pocket of his jeans, jotted down his name and number, and shoved it into Chris’s hand. Chris glanced down at it, then gave Zach an apologetic smile. “I should catch up.”

His goal accomplished, Zach suddenly felt dizzy and breathless, and all he wanted to do was run away. He managed to a weak “See you around,” before he turned away, his cheeks burning as he fought his way back against the flow of pedestrians. It was done, and now he would just have to wait and see if anything came of it. He did know one thing for sure - there was no fucking way he’d be able to sleep tonight.

** OOO **

Chris had dinner with Sierra’s family, then offered to take the boys to the pool while Sierra’s mom got her settled for the evening. They’d had a long day, and after an hour scrambling around the fake fort and plunging down the pirate ship’s waterslide, Tyler and Sean were exhausted. Chris thought he would be, too, but after dropping the boys off and heading back to his room, his body still hummed with adrenaline. He stripped out of his swim trunks, took a quick shower, and flopped onto the bed, trying to decide whether he should read for a little while, or try to sleep, or maybe find something on TV. His eyes flicked toward the bedside table, where he’d carefully set the paper with Zach’s number on it. He’d been trying not to look at it, not to think about it, but he knew that it was the reason he was buzzing with energy, and he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep, not with the number right there, taunting him. He picked up his book and stared blankly at the first page. Then he gave up, dropped the book on the floor, and picked up his phone.

He could practically hear his heart beating as the phone rang.

“Hello?” 

“Zach? This is Chris. From…Disney World?”

“Oh my god. Hi!”

Chris grinned and squeezed the phone tightly against his ear. “You sound surprised.”

“I am. Pleasantly surprised. I didn’t, uh…I thought you were going to text me.” Chris could hear the smile in his voice.

“Yeah, well, I just…I mean, I can hang up and text you, if you’d prefer.”

“No, no,” Zach laughed, “this is good, this…yeah, no. Let’s, uh…let’s talk.”

Chris hadn’t thought much beyond the dialing of Zach’s number, and his mind raced to come up with something clever or witty or at least non-awkward to say. His whole body felt hot, and he squeezed a pillow against his chest. “So…my name is Chris…”

Zach chuckled. “Yeah, I got that. And my name is Zach, and I play Aladdin at Disney World…”

“A very sexy Aladdin,” Chris added.

“Yes, a very sexy Aladdin. That’s what Disney World was looking for when they hired me, actually. They were like ‘We need a sexified Aladdin to appeal to the 18-to-35-year-old blue-eyed hotties demographic’.”

Chris laughed and wondered if it was possible for his entire body to blush. “Well, please tell them it worked.”

“Oh, I will.” There was a pause. “Hey, do you think… I mean, is there any way you could get dinner with me tomorrow?”

Chris had to bite the corner of the pillow he was clutching to stifle his grin and regain his composure. He glanced at the clock, as if that was going to help him answer. “Um, maybe? I have to hang out with Sierra-“

“No, yeah, I mean, not if you can’t-“

“-but she’s usually in bed by like 7:00,” Chris rushed on, “and her mom said she’s fine if I wanted to go off on my own one night, so maybe if it’s somewhere close, we could-“

“Yeah, I mean, anywhere, we could get dinner at the park, or your hotel, or-“

“Well, maybe not at the hotel…”

“Oh, right. Yeah. I mean, but yeah, wherever you want…” Zach trailed off for a few seconds before he broke the silence with a nervous laugh. “Sorry, I…god, this is so weird. I swear I’ve never done this before.”

“Really?” Chris asked, doubtful. “You’ve never taken advantage of your hot Aladdin status?”

“Not with a guest, no. It’s actually really frowned upon.”

“So you’ve never given your number to a guest.”

“Nope.”

“Never asked a guest out to dinner?”

“Uh-uh.”

Chris felt a sudden rush of giddy bravery and he rolled onto his stomach, hugging tight to his pillow. “Have you ever had phone sex with a guest?”

There was a shocked silence, but Zach seemed to regain his composure pretty quickly. “Why, no, in fact, I have not,” he said, and the interest was clear in his tone.

“Care to remedy that situation?” Chris asked, lowering his voice.

“Uh… _yeah_ ,” he said, drawing it out like he wasn’t sure. “Hold on a sec.” Chris heard a rustling and a click, and the huff of Zach’s breath as he put the phone back to his ear. “Sorry. Had to lock the door. Roommates.”

Chris felt a bolt of heat in his gut – shit, they were actually going to do this. He gave an involuntary thrust of his hips, grinding down a little into the mattress. “So, uh…what are you wearing?”

“Wellll…I’ve got this tiny purple vest on…red cummerbund…flowy white pants…”

Chris burst out laughing. 

“What about you?” Zach said smugly, clearly enjoying Chris’s response.

“Me? All I’m wearing is a tiara and a smile, baby.”

“Oh my god,” Zach chuckled. His voice was muffled like he was holding a hand over his mouth. “ You’re ridiculous. I really want to kiss you right now.”

“I’d like that.”

“You’ve got really gorgeous lips.”

“Yeah? I know how to use them, too,” Chris purred. There was an awkward silence as he tried desperately to figure out whether it was time to plunge into graphic dirty talk or whether they should banter and flirt for a little longer.

Zach took the lead, his voice husky as he asked, “You hard?”

“Hell yes,” Chris murmured. “I’ve been hard since you answered the phone.” 

“Touching yourself?”

Chris rolled over onto his back and gave his dick a few light tugs. “I am now.”

“You, uh…you want me to say stuff? Like what I’m thinking about?”

“Yeah, sure,” Chris breathed.

“I’m thinking about those lips wrapped around my dick. Thinking about you looking up at me with those blue eyes while you suck me off.” He bit off a moan, and Chris imagined him sprawled across the bed, jacking himself to the mental image of Chris on his knees. 

“You’re grabbing my hair so you can fuck my mouth while I suck your big dick,” Chris said, his voice low and rough. 

“Yeah,” Zach groaned his approval. “Tell me more-“

“I’m taking you in deep, swallowing around you. So fucking hot, I know you’ve got a huge cock hidden under those flowy pants.” 

“Nngh, yeah,” Zach grunted in his ear. “I want…wanna see you, wanna watch you come while you-“

Chris didn’t hear the rest, because the image of Zach as Aladdin, jerking off while he was wearing his purple vest and fez, had come unbidden to his mind, and he had to pull the phone away so Zach wouldn’t hear him laughing.

“Chris? You there?” Zach’s tinny voice sounded uncertainly from the cell phone speaker.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he said, putting the phone back to his ear as he cracked up into his pillow. “I’m totally picturing you as Aladdin right now, I can’t help it!”

“Occupational hazard,” Zach sighed. “You need a minute?”

Chris glanced down at his cock, still rigid in his hand, the dark purple head disappearing into his fist as he gave an experimental stroke. “Would it be totally weird if I told you that didn’t kill my boner at all?”

“Fine by me. I was…kind of in the middle of something.”

“I’m so sorry. Seriously.” Chris rolled onto his side and spat on his palm before resuming his earlier pace, fisting his cock with short, even strokes. He pressed the phone to his ear and dropped his voice. “Come on, Zach,” Chris murmured. “Touch yourself for me. Do it hard and fast. I want you to come so fucking hard you can taste it.”

“Yeah, yes,” Zach panted.

“Put your phone on speaker, let me hear it.”

“Shit-“ He heard Zach fumbling with the phone, then the rhythmic slap of Zach’s hand pumping at his dick, coupled with the sound of his breathing and a low groan in the back of his throat. The sounds drove Chris to the edge and he curled in on himself, his abs tightening as his orgasm exploded through him. At the last second he dropped his phone, reached down to cup a palm over his cock as he came. It didn’t seem right, jizzing on the Finding Nemo bedspread, so he rolled onto his back and smeared it across his chest before he picked up the phone again.

“Zach? Zach? Hello? You there, man?”

“Rrngh. Yeah. I’m here.”

“I thought you passed out or something.”

“Nah. I just…fuck, all my muscles clenched up so hard when I came that I couldn’t talk for a minute there. Shit. That was awesome.”

“Yeah, it was.”

They lay in silence for a few minutes, basking in the hazy afterglow.

“Seriously though,” Chris said, opening his eyes as he realized that he was in danger of drifting off. “What are you wearing?”

“Um. Black boxer-briefs. Why?”

“Oh, just wanted to know how I should picture you when I jerk off again in like an hour.”

Zach chuckled. “And what about you? Are you really wearing a tiara?”

“No tiara.”

“Mm. That’s too bad. Really naked though?”

“Really naked, and now I have a fistful of jizz smeared across my chest.”

There was a beat of silence on Zach’s end of the line, then he cleared his throat. “Okay, well, yeah, that image should hold me for the next hour. Week. Lifetime.”

Chris grinned, enjoying the effect he seemed to be having on Zach. “So, you said something about getting dinner?” he asked.

“Yeah, I thought…well, I mean, that is unless you think it’s too soon. Wouldn’t want to jump into anything.”

“Right,” Chris laughed. “Well, like I said, I should be able to get away for a couple hours tomorrow night. Got a place in mind?”

“Yeah, actually. Meet me at the Africa lodge – you can get a bus there. Maybe 7:30? I know some guys that work there, I can get us a table with a good view of the giraffes.”

“Giraffes? Seriously?”

“Yeah. That okay?”

“Uh, yeah. Just…damn.” Chris heaved a long-suffering sigh. “I’ve always had a feeling Aladdin would ruin me for other guys.”

** OOO **

Chris refilled his Tigger coffee mug twice during their breakfast of Mickey waffles in the resort’s dining area. He shielded his eyes against the clear sky, the heat already creeping up even though it was barely 9:00 AM, and he hid a yawn behind his hand. Even after he and Zach had ended their call last night, he’d lain awake in the darkness, trying to calm his whirling mind and racing heart. Then he’d downloaded a Disney World app to his phone that showed him each character’s daily schedule and discovered that Jasmine and Aladdin would be making an appearance at Epcot’s Morocco Pavilion the next day.

“You guys excited about Epcot?” he asked as they stood up from their table and headed for their shuttle bus. “Who do you think we’re gonna see there?”

“Princess Jasmine and Aladdin!” Sierra said, throwing her arms in the air. 

“Really? But didn’t you see them yesterday? Don’t you want to see someone else?”

“No, I want to see them _again_!” Sierra declared, and Chris was secretly glad he wasn’t the only one.

Their first ride at Epcot was Spaceship Earth, which Sierra’s brothers proclaimed “the most boring ride in the _world_.” Chris was inclined to agree with them, though he did get a little defensive when they later declared that _Captain Eo_ was “totally weird”.

Chris kept an eye on his watch, and he steered them toward the World Showcase as 11:00 AM approached. They stopped in Mexico for frozen strawberry drinks, and by the time they made it to Morocco a long line had formed for Jasmine and Aladdin’s meet-and-greet. Chris assured Mrs. Reed that he was fine waiting, and the rest of the family headed off in another direction.

Butterflies flitted in Chris’s stomach as they approached, and he chewed on a fingernail, alternating between hoping Zach would catch his eye and wanting to hide behind Sierra’s wheelchair until the very last second. He couldn’t help but dwell on how fucking weird it was that he’d had phone sex with a Disney character actor, who he now felt like he knew in some strange way, and who he was now supposed to interact with normally in front of a very observant six-year-old. He _really_ hadn’t thought this through last night. Luckily, Sierra was chattering happily about princesses and monkeys and magic lamps, distracting him from the inevitable moment when he and Zach would be face to face. He desperately hoped that he wouldn’t spring a boner, but even from here, this far back in the line, the sight of Zach’s dark-rimmed eyes, his toned arms, and those _hands_ , was making a flush spread up from beneath the collar of his purple Wishgranters t-shirt. 

Twice he saw Zach’s eyes glance out over the line, and each time Chris’s stomach seemed to tie itself into a little knot and he had trouble taking a breath. But both times Zach seemed to look right past him, and Chris exhaled with a mixture of disappointment and relief.

Finally, when there were only two families ahead of them in the line, Zach’s eyes met his, widening in recognition. He was in the middle of getting his picture taken, and the Disney attendant had to call, “Aladdin, over here Aladdin,” before he managed to yank his attention away from Chris. Chris swallowed hard and stared intently at the ground, avoiding Zach’s eyes for the next five minutes, until they were being ushered into the photo area for their turn. 

Princess Jasmine bent down to say hi to Sierra, and Chris and Zach stared at each other until neither of them could contain their grins. Chris had seen the smiles Zach had been giving everyone else in line, so he knew that this one was different, that this one was real, and he felt like he was floating on air. Then Jasmine was standing up, looking back and forth between them with a strange expression on her face, and Chris shook himself out of it and reached down to touch Sierra’s shoulder. 

“Hey princess, wasn’t there something you wanted to ask Aladdin?”

He watched as Zach reluctantly shifted his attention to Sierra. 

“Where’s Abu?” she demanded. Zach flashed a quick smile up at Chris, a glint in his eye that seemed to say, _Watch this_ , then he shifted smoothly into character.

“Abu? You know, I asked him to come along today – I said, ‘Come on, Abu, you’ve got to meet the beautiful Princess Sierra’, but nooooo, he had important monkey business to attend over in Animal Kingdom.”

Sierra giggled. “Where’s Jafar?”

Zach gasped and darted behind Jasmine, grabbing onto her shoulders and peeking out from behind them. “Jafar?! Where?!”

“Oh Aladdin,” Jasmine chided, shaking her head. “You know Jafar wouldn’t dare show his face around here.”

“Hmm,” Zach mused, moving to her side. “I guess you’re right. But what about that stinky, loudmouthed parrot of his, Iago?” Zach leaned an elbow on Jasmine’s shoulder and gave Sierra a knowing look. “Where’s he, huh?”

Chris crouched down beside the wheelchair. “Where’s Iago, Sierra? Didn’t we seen him somewhere yesterday?”

“Ummm…the…the…TIKI ROOM!” Sierra yelled, throwing her arms up in the air with a gigantic grin as she remembered.

They all laughed, and Chris could see his own giddiness reflected back in Zach’s eyes, in the way he chuckled a little louder and longer than the moment probably deserved. He was still laughing as Chris handed his camera over to the attendant and they shuffled into position for a picture. 

Chris was standing behind Sierra’s wheelchair, and he waited with nervous anticipation, wondering if Zach would make a move to stand beside him, or if he’d avoid the temptation altogether. But then there he was, winking at Chris just before he turned to set a hand on Sierra’s shoulder.

“Hi, Aladdin.”

“Hi, Chris,” Zach murmured, and Chris swallowed hard at the sound of his name on Zach’s lips, thinking how unfair it was that he couldn’t return the favor. Zach slid an arm around his waist, and was that – was he – yeah, Zach was actually wrapping his fingers around a loop of Chris’s belt, pulling him close until their sides were pressed together. Chris took a deep breath and brushed his hand across Zach’s back, finding purchase against his hipbone, and he could have sworn he heard Zach mutter a very un-Disney-like curse beneath his breath.

The click of the camera was lost beneath the blood rushing in his ears, and all too soon Zach was letting go, moving away, taking Jasmine’s hand and pulling her up as they turned to greet the next people in line. Chris gripped the handles of Sierra’s wheelchair with sweaty palms. He aimed them blindly in some direction and made himself walk away without looking back, his legs feeling a little heavier with every step.

** OOO **

Zach hummed as he finished changing out of his costume. He pulled a t-shirt over his head and caught Naya’s amused look.

“What?”

“Hot date?”

“No.” Zach suppressed a grin as he pulled on his sneakers. “Maybe.”

“You do realize that you’re humming ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight?’”

“It’s a great song.”

“Mm-hmm. What are you going to wear?”

“Haven’t decided yet-“ Zach’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out, frowning at the screen. The text from Chris made him put a hand over his mouth in dismay.

_Can’t do dinner. Sierra’s sick, we had to take her to the hospital._

“Shit.”

“What is it? He cancel on you or something?”

“No, he-“ Zach stopped talking to send a quick text back. _Which hospital?_ “He had to take a kid to the hospital.”

“He has a _kid_?” 

“What? No. He’s a volunteer.”

“A volunteer?” 

Zach glanced at her in time to see the recognition dawning on her face, and he felt his cheeks flush. “Oh Zach, no you didn’t. No you _didn’t_?” Naya crowed joyously. “You’re going on a date with that Wishgranters guy, aren’t you? Oh my god, you are, look at you, you’re totally blushing! I fucking _knew_ you two were making Bambi eyes at each other this morning!”

“We were not, now please shut up.” He was still staring at his phone, waiting for a response that hadn’t come. He huffed in exasperation and typed another text. _Chris, which hospital????_ “Seriously, Naya,” he said, meeting her eye, “don’t tell anyone, okay? I know it’s crazy, but I really like him and-” The phone buzzed in his hand and he saw Chris’s text pop up on the screen. 

_children’s_

He looked up to find Naya watching him. “I gotta go.”

“Good luck, Zach. Your hot blue-eyed secret is safe with me.”

Zach rolled his eyes and grabbed his costume from the rack where he was supposed to leave it overnight.

“Zach, are you crazy?” Naya hissed, grabbing his arm. “You can’t take that out of here.”

“It’s for a _sick kid_ , Naya.”

“Is it worth getting fired over?”

They glared at each other for a moment, until Naya sighed in exasperation. She told him to hold on a second and disappeared into her dressing room, coming out a few seconds later with a garment bag. Zach’s gratitude shone in his eyes as he let Naya help him zip the costume inside.

“Thank you. Seriously.”

“Yeah, yeah. Get out of here. Drive carefully, okay?”

“I will.”

“And Zach…I hope everything’s okay.”

“So do I.”

** OOO **

Chris crossed and re-crossed his legs, trying to find a comfortable position on one of the unforgiving plastic chairs that lined the waiting room. He’d just settled for resting his elbows on his knees, picking nervously at a cuticle, when the doors to the ER slid open. Chris glanced idly at the entrance, his breath catching as he saw Zach step through the entryway. He dimly registered the garment bag slung over one shoulder, more focused on the fact that Zach hadn’t done anything to un-style his Aladdin hair, and that his eyes still bore a faint trace of eyeliner. A quick glance confirmed that Sierra’s brothers were still glued to _The Incredibles_ on the TV screen in the corner. Zach dropped his bag on a chair as Chris surged up out of his seat, and they crashed together in a hard embrace.

“Zach.” Saying his name felt amazing, as did the comforting warmth of the arms wrapped around him, the brush of a kiss against his hair.

“Hey,” Zach said, his voice soothing. “How’s Sierra, is she okay? What happened?”

“We were at the park, and she had some kind of seizure…we should have left earlier, it was so hot, but she wanted to see everything-” Chris broke off, remembering how one minute she’d been talking excitedly about seeing Crush and Nemo, and the next her tiny body had spasmed, head flailing so hard it hit the back of her wheelchair. His first aid training had kicked in quickly, and he’d calmly used his walkie-talkie to contact Disney Emergency Services, but inside he’d been terrified, panic clutching at his chest. Tears sprang to his eyes at the memory, and he pulled away, wiping at his face and sniffing, suddenly self-conscious. He avoided Zach’s eyes as he took a steadying breath. “We, uh…we just talked to the doctor. She’s okay, she’ll be okay…she’s just dehydrated, but she’s really weak, and it’s not good, it’s really not good for her to go through something like this. I should’ve paid more attention, I shouldn’t have-“

“C’mere.” Zach reached for him, and Chris leaned willingly into his solid chest. 

“Thanks for coming,” Chris mumbled, slipping his arms around Zach’s waist, and they held onto each other, letting everything that had already happened between them catch up to this moment.

He wondered if he should kiss Zach, or if it would be weird to do that here, in the middle of a hospital waiting room. It was almost as if he could feel Zach making the same decision, and just as he’d made up his mind, convinced himself that this was the moment, the orchestra music swelling in the background, they heard the staccato sound of footsteps approaching. They dropped their arms quickly and stepped back.

“Chris, I just spoke with the doctor and he said – oh, I’m sorry!” Sierra’s mom stopped abruptly when she noticed Zach, putting a hand to her chest and glancing between them. 

“Um, Mrs. Reed, this is Zach. He, uh…he plays Aladdin at Disney World, and I thought-“

“Aladdin!” Mrs. Reed’s face lit up. “Oh, Sierra will be so thrilled!”

“I mean, uh-“ Chris looked nervously at Zach. “I don’t know if you brought-“

“Yeah, I did,” Zach said, picking up the garment bag he’d set down. “Just, don’t tell anyone, okay? The Mouse will kill me if I get caught bringing the costume offsite.” 

Chris smiled gratefully at him, and Mrs. Reed clasped her hands happily. “Well, I was just about to tell Chris, Sierra’s awake now, and the doctor said it would be okay if you’d like to go in and see her. I’m sure she’d love it if Aladdin could join you.”

“Oh, I think we could probably arrange that,” Zach said, flashing Mrs. Reed his most charming smile. He nodded at Chris. “I’ll meet you in there.”

Chris walked down the hall to Sierra’s room and peeked inside. She was propped up in her hospital bed, an IV-line stretching from her right wrist. She looked tired and pale, but at the sight of Chris she gave a valiant grin. 

“Hey, sweetie,” Chris said, pulling up a chair to sit beside her. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay.”

“Okay? You comfortable? Did they send in the pillow plumpers to plump your pillows for you?” Chris asked, patting the pillow beside her head. 

“No,” Sierra laughed, shaking her head. 

“No? Oh dear. Well, we’ll have to rectify that. Is everything else okay? Does your arm hurt where they put the tube in?”

Sierra shook her head, and Chris was reminded that she was used to this, that she’d spent too many hours of her young life in hospital beds, being pricked with needles, passing long hours waiting for test results or recovering from treatments.

“Juice please,” Sierra said, pointing to the nightstand. Chris held the cup so she could take a sip from the straw. 

“Hey, guess what. I brought a special visitor to see you.”

“You did?”

“Uh-huh. He should be here any minute now.” He set the juice down, and as he turned back he caught a glimpse of Zach hovering outside the door in his full Aladdin get-up. Zach caught his eye, winked, and swung dramatically around the doorframe and into the room.

“ _I can show you the world_ ,” he sang, as Sierra’s face transformed from pale exhaustion to glowing excitement. “ _Shining, shimmering, splendid-_ “ Zach perched on the edge of Sierra’s bed, taking her hand as he serenaded her, “ _tell me, Princess Sierra, now when did you last let your heart decide_?” 

Zach’s voice was doing cruel, cruel things to Chris’s loins. He swallowed hard and tried not to dwell on how unfair it was that he could just _do_ that.

“ _I can-_ “

“ _Open your eyes_ ,” Sierra chimed in, and Zach gave a delighted laugh. 

“ _Take you-_ “

“ _Wonder and wonnnder_!”

“ _Over, sideways, and under-_ “ Zach met his eyes, and Chris shook his head. But he knew Sierra was watching, so he took a breath and joined in, “ _on a magic carpet ride, a whole new worrrrrld_!” 

The three of them collapsed in laughter before they could finish the song, which was good because Chris had been pretty sure he couldn’t make it through much more of it without jumping Zach in an altogether inappropriate fashion. Just watching him with Sierra was hard enough, the two of them giggling as he let her try on his fez, the rapt expression on his face as she told him an involved story about a princess and a magical cat named Hamburger. 

“And then what happened?” Zach asked, as the story finally wound down and Sierra rested her head back on the pillow. “Did they live happily ever after?”

“Yep,” Sierra sighed. She gave Zach an adoring smile, and Chris was pretty sure that at that moment he had the exact same expression on his face. 

“Good,” Zach said softly. “Well Princess, I have to get back to Agrabah now, before Jasmine gets worried. Will you do something for me?” 

Sierra nodded.

“Feel better soon, okay?” 

“Okay,” Sierra said, almost too quietly for them to hear as her eyelids fluttered shut. 

“Goodnight,” Zach whispered, standing up from the side of the bed. He gave Chris’s shoulder a squeeze and slipped out the door.

It wasn’t until a few minutes later, after Chris had carefully extracted his hand from Sierra’s small but powerful grip, tucked the sheet up to her chin, and eased quietly out into the hallway, that it occurred to him that Zach might actually have left. The bathroom wasn’t occupied, and Zach was nowhere to be seen in the waiting room. Chris felt a pang of disappointment, though he couldn’t really fault him. After all, technically he _had_ said goodnight…

He found Mrs. Reed in the waiting room, and offered to take Tyler and Sean back to the hotel. She looked over toward the play area, where they had apparently discovered the hospital’s stash of video games and were in the midst of an epic _Cars_ showdown. She looked back at Chris. “Honestly, I think they’d rather stay here, especially if you’d take them to get some ice cream in the cafeteria in a couple hours. They’re…pretty used to sticking around during Sierra’s hospital stays,” she added, with a twinge of regret in her voice. 

“No problem, Mrs. Reed, I understand. Honestly, I’d kind of rather be here, too.” He promised to keep an eye on the boys, and folded himself into one of the plastic chairs as Mrs. Reed headed back to Sierra's room. He was considering moving over a few seats to get a better view of _Monsters Inc._ on the TV screen, when a shadow fell over his legs and he looked up to see Zach standing in front of him.

“Zach! I thought you left!”

“I was just throwing my stuff in the car,” Zach said, sitting down beside him. A thought seemed to occur to him and he straightened, turned halfway in his chair to look at Chris. “Um, that is, if it’s cool if I stay. I mean, I can go if-“

“No, it’s cool, it’s cool. Are you – I mean, do you have anywhere to be, because you don’t have to-“ 

“I don’t. I mean, we were supposed to have dinner anyway and-“ Zach’s eyes darted to the side “-let’s just say I left the rest of the night open.” Chris blushed, and Zach scooted closer on his chair. “Chris…” Zach reached for him, cupping his cheek with a warm palm. Anticipation crackled in the air. Chris licked his lips, and he could see Zach watching his mouth, tilting his body slightly forward…

Suddenly, Chris remembered where they were, and he pulled away. “We probably shouldn’t…” He glanced across the waiting room, and Zach followed his gaze to the play area, where a few other kids were zooming trucks around Sierra's brothers on the carpet. 

He saw Zach bite his lip as he attempted to stifle his disappointment. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” He leaned back in his chair with a rueful chuckle, rubbing a hand over his mouth as he met Chris’s gaze with twinkling eyes. “So, uh. What kind of music do you like?”

They talked quietly for a while, making first date conversation. Chris told Zach about his life as a struggling actor in New York City, where he worked as a temp to pay the bills in between auditions. During his senior year at NYU, a friend of his had asked him to play the lead in a one-time performance of a play that had been written by a 16-year old with muscular dystrophy. That was how he’d first learned of Wishgranters, and he’d been a volunteer ever since.

In turn, Zach talked about his childhood, growing up in Pittsburgh, performing in community theater, trips to Disney World with his mom and brother, and the decision to escape to Florida after college instead of trying to find a real job. As they talked, their hands inched closer until their fingers touched, overlapped, and then intertwined, sending an illicit thrill through Chris’s chest.

They took a few breaks, to the cafeteria for food with the boys, or down the hall to the vending machine for weak coffee in Styrofoam cups, and each time they’d settle back into their chairs, their hands automatically finding each other again.

** OOO **

Zach opened his eyes to the sound of footsteps, and he straightened in his chair, momentarily disoriented. They were in the waiting room – they must have nodded off during a lull in conversation, but he had no idea how long they’d been asleep. Chris’s hand was still firmly in his, and Sierra’s mother was leaning down to touch Chris’s shoulder.

“Chris?”

“Huh, what?” Chris said, coming awake suddenly, his face taking on a sheepish expression. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Reed.”

“It’s okay, honey. I was actually just coming to suggest that you go back to the hotel to get some rest.”

Chris glanced around blearily. “What time is it?”

“It’s almost 5:00.”

“What about the boys?”

“They’re fine.” She gestured to the corner of the waiting room, where Sean and Tyler were sprawled across three chairs each, mouths half open and hair plastered to their foreheads, sleeping soundly under blankets that some kind nurse had draped over them in the night. “No need to wake them, but I thought you might not be as comfortable sleeping in that chair.”

Chris winced and stretched his neck. “How’s Sierra?”

“She’s doing okay, a little restless. The doctor just wants to keep her here for a few more hours. And of course he wants us to take it easy today, so I think we’ll plan to stay at the hotel. They’ll provide transportation for us.”

Chris ran a hand over his face and let go of Zach to stand. Zach stood, too. “I can drive you back,” he offered.

Chris looked at Mrs. Reed, then at Zach. “Yeah, okay.” His mouth was turned down in a frown and he stared at the floor, arms crossed tightly across his chest.

“What’s wrong?” Zach asked, feeling strange about the question, about the fact that he could tell something was wrong, about wanting so badly to help.

“I just…” Chris shook his head. “We were supposed to go to the tea party today, with Alice in Wonderland.” He blinked, and Zach watched in wonder as a tear slid down his cheek. “She was so excited about wearing her princess costume again.” Chris wiped his cheek with a palm and gave them a sheepish look. “Sorry,” he sniffed.

“Oh, you sweetheart,” Mrs. Reed said, reaching up to pull Chris into a hug. Chris returned the embrace, meeting Zach’s eyes over her shoulder. Zach had to suppress a sudden, unreasonable urge to push the woman out of the way and wrap Chris in his own arms forever.

Instead, he stood by silently as Chris said goodbye and made Mrs. Reed promise to call if anything changed, and to call if Sierra asked for him, and to call when they got back to the hotel. 

“I promise, Chris,” she assured him, and Zach set a hand on his back and led him reluctantly out of the hospital.

They held hands again in the car, as Zach drove and Chris rested his head against the window, watching the palm trees glide by.

“You really are a sweetheart, aren’t you?” Zach said, smiling a little as he glanced at Chris out of the corner of his eye.

“Yeah, I’m a real softy,” Chris sighed.

“I’m serious, you…I think you really are the kindest, most true-hearted and…selfless person I’ve ever met.” He had the urge to say more, but he had no idea how any of the precipitous declarations he wanted to make would be received.

“Yeah,” Chris chuckled ruefully. “I was real selfless last night when I was jerking off to your voice while there’s a sick kid I’m supposed to be responsible for in the next room over.”

Zach shifted in his seat at the memory and squeezed Chris’s hand. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Chris blew out a breath. “I know.”

“The doctor said Sierra’s going to be fine.”

“I know.”

Zach glanced at him again. “You do realize I’m not taking you back to your hotel, right?” he said lightly.

“Ummm…where are we going?” Chris sounded wary, but not upset.

“I have to take the costume back, plus I’m on for a character breakfast at 8:00. I was thinking maybe I’d give you a little behind the scenes tour?”

Chris couldn’t help but smile at that. “Behind the scenes?”

Zach smirked. “Backstage, as it were.”

Chris laughed. “Yeah, alright. Let’s see what you have to show me.”

** OOO **

Chris dozed for the rest of the ride, and woke up to the slam of the car door, as Zach got out and reached into the backseat for the garment bag. Chris climbed slowly out of the car, into the misty gray air of the morning. They were in a parking lot Chris didn’t recognize, one that was slowly filling up with cars at 5:30 in the morning as the “cast members” arrived, straggling in from their real lives to transform the lives of ordinary people into a fairy tale come true.

Zach led him across the parking lot to an innocuous-looking fake cliff. “Wait here, I have to go check in.” Chris opened his mouth to respond, but Zach was already heading toward a low building with a sign that read “Cast-Members Only.” Chris yawned and stared at his feet as he waited, and a few minutes later he was startled by the creak of a door opening out of the side of the boulder. “Psst. In here.” Chris raised his eyebrows and followed Zach inside as the door clicked shut behind them. 

They were in a long, wide tunnel with a concrete floor. Pipes and air-ducts ran along the ceiling, and the walls were lined with industrial shelves holding a vast range of hardware, paint, cleaning supplies, and props. 

“Jesus,” Chris said, clutching his chest in shock as they turned a corner to find themselves face-to-face with a long row of body-less Mickey Mouse heads.

“Sorry,” Zach murmured, taking his hand and pulling him to the side as an electric cart whirred past them down the tunnel.

“Are you sure this is okay?” Chris whispered. “Sneaking me in like this?”

Zach glanced back at him as they continued through the tunnels. “Chris, I’ve already done so many illegal-slash-frowned-upon things for you…it would be a damn shame to stop now.”

Chris shrugged his acceptance and sped up to match Zach’s pace as they turned up a short ramp leading to another door. Zach pushed it opened and stuck his head out, looking both ways before he gestured for Chris to follow. 

The morning air smelled damp, and Chris could hear birds chirping in the trees – or, more likely, from the speakers in the trees. He listened closely until he determined that, yes, those birds were definitely whistling a familiar tune - Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Da, as a matter of fact. “Hey, we’re behind Splash Mountain, aren’t we?!”

Zach nodded, then looked him in the eye. “Great ride, or greatest ride?” he asked seriously.

“Greatest ride _ever_.”

“Damn right,” Zach confirmed, but he led them away from the entrance, past the empty line and toward the lagoon, where a wooden sign pointed them toward Tom Sawyer Island.

Exhilaration bubbled in Chris’s chest, and he chuckled as they wobbled their way across the rickety floating bridge. Once on solid ground again, Zach took his hand and led him down a wooded path, around a mill with a working water-wheel and beneath the ladder to the tree fort.

“Why do I feel like you’ve done this before?” Chris asked, when Zach pulled back a tangle of cargo nets to reveal the mouth of a low cave.

“I haven’t. Well, not what you’re thinking, anyway.” He ducked into the cave and gestured for Chris to follow him in. “Tinkerbell and I used to smoke up in here after hours.”

“ _Tinkerbell_? Seriously?”

“Total stoner.”

“I’m so glad I met you.”

“Really?” Zach asked, sitting down and tugging Chris to him by the hand. “Because we haven’t even gotten to the good part yet.”

Chris dropped to his knees beside Zach. Exhaustion was quickly catching up to him, and he could feel a giddy lightness in his limbs. “Is that so?”

“Mm-hmm.” Zach reached for him, running a hand up along his side. “God, I’ve been waiting for this.”

“Me, too,” Chris murmured, and they leaned in together for a kiss, their lips parting automatically, tongues tangling without prelude. They explored each other with keen hands, beneath shirts, over muscled backs and flat stomachs, dipping beneath waistbands, then back up to dig fingertips into hips and shoulder blades as the kiss intensified. They were flushed and breathless by the time they pulled apart to look at each other, laughing at their eagerness, but Chris could only stay away for a second before he lunged in again, capturing Zach’s lips with an impatient sound. Zach hummed his approval and pressed his hands into Chris’s hair, sucking on his tongue and wrapping a leg around his waist to pull him closer. 

They were practically horizontal now, stretched out along the impeccably clean cave floor, rolling over to rut against each other. Zach got a hand between them, wrestling with Chris’s fly until he got the zipper down, easing his long fingers beneath Chris’s boxers to wrap around his aching cock.

“Oh fuck,” Chris gasped, stars already bursting behind his eyes as Zach worked his way down to nuzzle at the base of his dick, still working his shaft with short, tight strokes. 

“Wanna make you come,” Zach rumbled, looking up at him with dark eyes. 

“Yeah,” Chris panted, propping himself up on an elbow to watch. “You will.” 

With a subtle smirk, Zach shifted his focus and went to town on Chris’s cock, licking up the length of it to take the head between his lips, sucking gently as he closed his fingers around the shaft. Chris swallowed hard and tried to watch, but the mix of sensations felt so good that he had to squeeze his eyes shut, tilt his head back and bite his lip to make it last a little longer. Zach kept switching it up, pulling off to tongue his slit, wrapping his lips around the tip, or bobbing his head as he sucked. Chris was panting like he’d just run a marathon, wheezing as he felt the telltale tightening of his balls, and he sucked in a breath to let Zach know that he was almost there. Zach grunted in understanding, and with a devilish twist of his wrist took the bulk of Chris’s load across his tongue. He let it dribble between his lips, rubbing his mouth over the sensitive head, and he milked Chris’s cock until a last spurt of come splashed against his jaw.

Chris blinked hard, glancing down through a bleary, orgasmic haze to see Zach looking back at him with a mischievous, cum-sloshed grin. “I feel so dirty right now.”

“Really? Because you’re not the one with spunk dripping down your chin.”

Chris pulled him up by the shoulders and snaked his tongue along the line of Zach’s jaw. 

“That better?” He let his head fall back against the ground, his chest still heaving. Zach nuzzled into him, kissing at his neck. It felt nice, and Chris was almost content to let him continue, until he felt the press of Zach’s erection against his leg, and he was suddenly reminded of the details of their phone conversation. “Shit,” he murmured, lifting his head and twisting to look at Zach. “Wasn’t this supposed to be the other way around?”

Zach’s lips curled up in a smile like he’d been waiting for Chris to ask, and he rolled onto his back, unfastening his fly as he did. “Be my guest.” He gestured grandly to his crotch.

Chris scooted down between Zach’s legs, stifling a yawn as he did. “Fair warning, I might fall asleep on your dick.”

“Mmm. I’ll take the risk.”

Chris tugged at the elastic waistband of Zach’s boxer-briefs until his cock sprang free, curving up long and thick from a dark tangle of curls. Chris licked his lips and leaned down run his tongue along the shaft. “Okay, I’m awake.”

Zach shifted his hips and reached down to run his fingers through Chris’s hair. “Good. And now we find out if all that stuff you said on the phone was just talk.”

Chris smirked at him, parted his lips, and took Zach’s cock into his mouth in one smooth motion.

Beneath him, Zach’s hips twitched once, then stilled as he let Chris take control. Chris sucked hard, his cheeks hollowing with the force of it, mouth tight against Zach’s shaft as he breathed in through his nose and groaned in satisfaction. His nose was pressed into Zach’s pubes and he was loathe to move, but he bobbed his head slowly, going deeper every time, until the head of Zach’s dick bumped against the back of his throat. He swallowed, and Zach gasped, tightening his fist in Chris’s hair. The combination of Zach’s grip and the cock stuffed in his mouth were making Chris’s eyes water, so he pulled off to breath, to tongue at Zach’s slit and to shoot him a seductive glance. “Want to fuck my mouth?” he offered. 

Zach shook his head, hair falling limply over his lust-darkened eyes. “No, just…do that again, Jesus Christ, I’m so close.”

“Your wish is my command.” Chris sucked down Zach’s spit-slicked shaft until his lips were wrapped around the base. The effort was taking everything he had, but he loved it, the smell, the taste. The slurping, grunting sounds of his enjoyment were as much a turn-on for him as he could tell they were for Zach. On a whim, he slid a hand up to fondle Zach’s balls - apparently a good decision, as Zach made a strangled sound and bucked up into his mouth, unleashing his load for Chris to swallow down with a hot, zealous hunger.

Chris pulled off but didn’t go far, resting his cheek against the exposed skin of Zach’s pelvis. Slowly, Zach’s fist loosened and he carded his fingers lightly through Chris’s hair.

“Not your first backstage blowjob, I take it,” he asked with a wry grin.

“A princess doesn’t kiss and tell,” Chris murmured.

“Well, you’d better get up here and kiss me then.”

Chris could have fallen asleep where he was, but he made himself move until they were stretched out together, exchanging lazy kisses on the still-cool floor of the cave. 

“I wish I didn’t have to leave tomorrow,” Chris said, his voice tight as he finally gave in to the thought that had been plaguing him for the past few hours.

“Mmm…” Zach traced the shape of Chris’s lips with his thumb. “Maybe I know a genie who can help you out.”

Chris snuggled against his shoulder. “Wouldn’t it be weird, if that really happened? If, like, I woke up tomorrow, and it was three days ago, so I could come find you and we could start all over again?”

“Mm-hmm…or you know what else would be weird? If you did go home tomorrow, but there was some magical device that would let us talk to each other across the vast distance that separates us. Or, oooh, if only there were some sort of magic carpet that could fly me through the air to see you again.”

“Zach…”

Zach gave a slight shake of his head, asking him not to consider the practicalities, and sealed their mouths together for another kiss. Chris let his head thunk softly against the ground, let his eyes slide closed so he could focus on the sensation of Zach’s warm lips on his, and for a moment he almost felt like he was dreaming.

“Hey. Chris. You can’t fall asleep here, babe.” Zach’s voice brought him out of it, deep and real, and he rolled onto his side into warm arms.

“But it’s so comfy.”

“I know. But it’s about 30 minutes from being overrun by a plethora of children in the grip of manic sugar highs from the syrup they poured all over their Mickey Mouse waffles.”

Chris grinned at him.

“What?”

“’Plethora.’” 

“What about it?”

Chris shook his head. “You’re perfect, that’s all.”

Zach shook his head bashfully, then pulled him up by the hand. “You do realize you’ll have to fight Jasmine for me.” Chris laughed, and gave the butterflies in his stomach a stern warning to quit it.

As they headed back across the lagoon, an official looking cast member with a walkie-talkie clipped to his belt nodded at Zach.

“Causing trouble, Quinto?”

Zach winked at him as they walked past. “Cleanup on Aisle 5.” 

“Ew.”

“Um, can that guy get you in trouble?” Chris asked once they’d moved away.

Zach shrugged. “Nah. That’s Nate, he’s in charge of the Jungle Cruise. Half of his skippers do a line of coke every time they go on shift, so let’s just say he’s not about to blow the whistle on anyone else.”

Chris raised his eyebrows and Zach gave him a guilty look. “Oh my god, I’m totally destroying your childhood illusions here, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, kinda. But to be honest, it does explain a _lot_ about that ride…”

“Let me make it up to you?”

“How? Let me guess, you’re going to tell me that Mickey and Minnie are crackwhores.”

“Well, no. But Mickey _is_ usually played by a girl.”

“God _dammit_!”

Zach laughed as they came to a stop just outside the door to the parking lot and tangled their fingers together. “Seriously though. Tonight, if Sierra is feeling better, bring her to Wishes.”

“Wishes?” 

“The fireworks show. I’ll meet you there, and I’ll take you guys to the best viewing spot in the park. We can make her last night here really special. And yours.”

Chris was finding it a little harder to smile than he should have, and he swallowed hard. “Yeah. Yeah, that sounds great.” He leaned in for a light brush of their lips before he turned to open the door out to the parking lot. Zach had to stay, but he’d pointed out across the lot to where Chris could grab a shuttle bus back to the hotel, and Chris headed in that direction.

“Chris,” Zach called, stopping him.

“Yeah?” 

“If you want, you could…” he trailed off, like he wasn’t sure he should go on. At Chris’s questioning look, he continued in a rush. “You could have Sierra’s tea party at the hotel. Call room service, order one of the cookie packages. Ask them to bring a tea set. Invite all of her stuffed animals and let her wear her princess outfit.” His expression was hopeful, encouraging. Chris’s heart swelled in his chest, and it was all he could do not to tell Zach he loved him right then and there. 

“You…are a genius,” he said instead.

Zach smiled, relieved. “Maybe you could even lend her your tiara?”

“If I’m feeling generous,” Chris said with a wink. “I’ll see you tonight, okay?”

“Yeah. See you tonight.”

** OOO **

Main Street, Magic Kingdom was packed with people streaming into the park in time to catch the late night fireworks show. Chris maneuvered Sierra’s wheelchair through the crowd, with Mrs. Reed and the boys following close behind. For the most part, people were pretty good about moving out of the way to let them pass. Amidst the crowd, Disney vendors hawked all manner of glowing neon accessories. Chris wondered if he should stop and get something for Sierra, but Zach had texted that he was waiting for them at the base of Cinderella’s Castle, and he was loathe to stop before they got there.

They’d been making steady progress, but as they got closer the crowd seemed to thicken, forming a seemingly impenetrable wall between their small party and the castle. Chris said his "excuse me’s" a little more loudly and looked around for another route, but the masses seemed intent on keeping them from reaching their goal. He was resisting the urge to use Sierra’s wheelchair as a battering ram, when suddenly a path opened up in front of them and they made their way through to find Zach waiting on the other side. 

He looked damp and fresh, like he’d showered after work, and he’d changed into a gray t-shirt and jeans. A pink glow-in-the-dark necklace lit up his smile as he knelt down before Sierra and handed her a glowing red rose. 

“You look lovely this evening,” he told her, and she reached for the rose with wide, adoring eyes.

He stood to give glowing necklaces to the boys and Mrs. Reed. He handed one to Chris, winking as their fingers brushed. 

“Aladdin’s dressed funny,” Sierra observed.

Chris made a face at Zach as he tried to figure out how to answer, but Zach was way ahead of him. 

“Shh,” Zach whispered. “I’m in disguise. Can’t have everyone knowing that I’m Aladdin, right? Or they’d all want to get their picture taken with me, and tonight is just for _you_.”

Sierra grinned and shook her head. “Nooo.”

“No?” 

“I know you’re a real person,” she said, sounding very sure of herself.

“Is that so?” Zach asked, amused. “Who am I?”

“Umm…”

Chris leaned down and whispered in her ear.

“Zach!” she crowed happily. 

“Cheater,” Zach grumbled, but he couldn’t hold his fake scowl for long. He took Sierra’s hand, and Chris pushed her wheelchair as they followed him along the low stone wall abutting the castle. 

Chris dutifully let Zach guide them, though his brows furrowed with confusion. He’d been under the impression that Zach was going to take them inside, but instead he seemed to be leading them away from the castle. They came to a stop, and Zach let go of Sierra’s hand to hop up onto the wall. “Where are you taking us?” Chris asked, looking up at him.

Zach crouched on the wall, looking down at them. “Do you trust me?”

“I…yeah, of course.”

“I’m taking you to the best viewing place in the park – we just need to get the wheelchair up here first.”

Zach helped Mrs. Reed and the boys up, and Chris lifted Sierra carefully from her chair. She was capable of standing on her own, but she was still weak from the hospital, and didn’t mind being babied just a little. She was as light as a feather in Chris’s arms, and he couldn’t help but brush a light kiss atop her trusty pink bandana before handing her up to her mom and Zach. 

Chris collapsed the wheelchair and set it on the wall, then climbed up himself, and together they walked up a short grassy hill. 

“I was thinking riiiiight about here,” Zach said. He turned and pointed up into the sky. “What do you think?” Sierra lifted her head from his shoulder, and Chris looked along with them, up at the castle, lit a pale purple against the night sky. 

“It’s so pretty,” Sierra breathed. Chris had to agree. 

“Just wait until the fireworks,” Zach said. He handed Sierra to Chris, set his backpack down, and pulled out a blanket to spread on the ground, big enough for the five of them to lie on. 

“This is amazing,” Chris said, sitting down beside Zach as they waited for the fireworks to begin. Tyler and Sean were having a fake sword fight with their necklaces, and they knelt down on the blanket so Sierra could join in, attacking fiercely with her glowing flower.

“I’m sorry I gave away my rose,” Zach murmured to Chris.

“It’s okay,” Chris said, and for a second it looked like Zach was going to say something else, but before he could a flailing, giggling six-year-old landed in Chris’s lap, distracting him.

“Oh no!” Chris yelled, not missing a beat, “I’ve been hit! I must retaliate, but the only weapon I have is… _TICKLES_ ,” he roared, wiggling his fingers. Shrieking with laughter, Sierra squirmed onto the blanket between him and Zach. Chris braced himself, pretty sure he was about to be tackled by an 8- and a 10-year old, too, but before that could happen they heard a BOOM, and golden fireworks erupted in the sky above them.

Silence descended over the park, and they lay back in hushed awe as Jiminy Cricket’s voice sounded all around them, welcoming them to the show as a mosaic of colorful explosions filled the air. 

From their vantage point on the lawn, the fireworks seemed almost close enough to reach up and touch. Sierra stared up at the sky in rapt attention, but Chris’s eyes were drawn to Zach, memorizing his profile as each new burst bathed him in a pastel splash of light. He looked almost as mesmerized as Sierra. His eyes were bright, and his lips moved as he sang softly along to the music.

  
_Like a bolt out of the blue,  
Fate steps in and sees you through.  
When you wish upon a star, your dreams...come...true_  


Chris reached across the blanket and found Zach’s hand searching for his. He tangled their fingers together and glowed quietly from within.

Zach pointed up at the castle, and Chris gasped along with everyone else as Tinkerbell appeared on the tallest spire, flying high above them on the wings of Disney magic.

  
_Star light, star bright,  
first star I see tonight.  
I wish I may, I wish I might,  
have the wish, I wish tonight._  


Chris held his breath and wished with all of his heart that this night, this moment, would last forever.

He had a feeling everyone on the blanket with him was wishing the same thing.

** OOO **

They didn’t talk as they made their way down Main Street. Everything Chris wanted to say sounded too much like “goodbye,” so he stayed quiet, and the heaviness in his heart seemed to tug at the corners of his lips. They’d gotten as far as the exit, following the crowd toward the shuttle buses, before Mrs. Reed came up alongside him and gently took the handles of the wheelchair from him with a smile.

For a moment, Chris and Zach stood uncertainly on the sidewalk, then they were reaching for each other, clinging with a desperate urgency that surprised them, made them laugh softly together. 

Chris brushed his lips against Zach’s ear. “Would it be really cheesy of me to say that tonight was totally magical?”

He felt the smile, then the lingering kiss that Zach pressed against his temple, the flex of his biceps as he tightened his embrace. “Something to remember me by,” he said, his voice gruff.

Chris squeezed his eyes shut, his heart pounding. “Zach, this…this isn’t one of those things, is it, one of those Disney fairytale…connections, the kind that never happen in real life?” 

“Actually,” Zach murmured against his temple, “I think it is.”

“You do?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Fireworks sparked in Chris’s chest and shimmered through his limbs. He pressed his fingertips into Zach’s back, their bodies already molded together so closely that anything more would have been indecent in a Disney World parking lot.

“Hey, Chris?”

“Yeah?”

“I can feel your ‘little princess’ poking me in the thigh.”

“Oh my god,” Chris choked, laughing and groaning into Zach’s shoulder. “I think you just managed to ruin Disney movies _and_ my dick for me with that one sentence.”

“I’ll help you through it,” Zach said, loosening his arms. He leaned back far enough to catch Chris’s eye. “So, you’ll call me?”

Chris swallowed and nodded, hating every inch of air between them. He had no idea how he would deal with miles. “I’ll call you.”

** OOO **

 **  
_Three months later_   
**

Zach checked his watch as he made his way through Hollywood Studios. The park was just opening, but Naya had been insistent that he get there early. Which surprised him, because although Zach enjoyed occasionally spending an hour in the park before his shift, Naya usually just rolled her eyes and told him that he was weird for wanting to watch MuppetVision 3D again, especially since he could already lip synch the entire movie. Whatever - it was still funny every time. This morning, however, Naya was waiting for him by the fountain as planned. As soon as she spotted Zach, she grabbed his hand and dragged him down one of the side streets. 

“Naya, where are we going?”

“I want you to meet someone.”

“Meet someone? I thought we were going to watch MuppetVision 3D.”

“This is better than MuppetVision 3D.”

“I highly doubt that,” Zach scoffed. “Wait, Naya, you’re not taking me to meet some guy, are you?”

Naya gave him a look and didn’t let go of his wrist.

“Naya, come on,” Zach pleaded, dragging his feet. “I know you think long-distance relationships aren’t a real thing or whatever, but Chris and I are going to make this work.” He felt a flood of warmth at the thought of Chris and at the memory of his visit to New York a month earlier. He’d taken a 24-hour bus ride up to see him, and they’d had four blissful days together, spending half their time wandering around Broadway in awe and the other half locked in Chris’s bedroom giving new meaning to the lyrics _over, sideways, and under_. He knew it would be a while before they’d be able to see each other again, and recently their phone calls had consisted primarily of lamenting that fact, but he was still positive that this – that Chris - was what he wanted. So it figured that Naya would pick now as the perfect time to drag him around, introducing him to Walt Disney World’s most eligible bachelors. 

Finally, Naya came to a halt behind the building that housed the Voyage of the Little Mermaid live show. Zach knew exactly where they were, mainly because his straight friends were always trying to hook up with the newest Ariel. He vaguely recalled hearing a rumor that one of the actors who played Prince Eric had gotten a role in a touring show, and suddenly he knew what Naya was up to. He glared at her.

“No fucking way, Naya, you are not trying to set me up with another Prince Eric. Since when has that ever ended well?”

“Since now?” The voice that answered from the backstage door sounded familiar, and Zach spun around, not believing his ears. Chris was smiling at him, looking ridiculously, unfairly gorgeous in Eric’s princely regalia. 

“Shit,” Zach murmured eloquently, still not able to fully comprehend what he was seeing.

“How do I look?” Chris asked, holding his arms up for Zach’s appraisal. 

“You look….” Zach said slowly, taking a step towards him, “like you need help getting out of that costume…”

“Whoa, okay,” Naya interjected, as Chris glanced down with a bashful grin. “Zach, just _try_ not to destroy any more Disney property, okay?”

“I’ll be gentle,” Zach said, smirking. He paused, shaking his head in disbelief. “Chris, what are you _doing_?”

“Uh, costume fitting? I got hired to play Prince Eric! I start next week.”

“Yeah, but… _why_?”

A playful expression crossed Chris’s features as he took a step toward Zach, reaching for his hand. “Let’s just say I wanted to be…part of your world.”

Zach laughed and pulled him in for a tight hug. “I love you so much, you corny motherfucker.”

“So…good surprise?”

“Oh my god, best surprise ever. I…I don’t even know what to do, I was so ready to be in a dedicated long distance relationship!”

“If it makes you feel better, we can still have phone sex.”

Zach laughed and pulled away, his hands lingering on Chris’s waist as he glanced down at the golden epaulets and sash. “So how much longer for the costume fitting?”

“I think we’re done, actually. I just have to change out of this…why, you have plans?”

Zach glanced at his watch. “Wanna go watch MuppetVision 3D?”

“Umm…”

“We can sit in the back row and make out in between the good parts,” he offered.

“Well in that case…hell, yeah.”

Zach shot a triumphant look at Naya, who rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her grin. “Well, my job here is done. You boys enjoy yourselves, k? I’ll try not to make too many ‘Two Princes’ jokes, but I’m warning you right now, it’s not going to be easy.”

“Goodbye, Naya,”

“Thank you, Naya,” Chris called as she walked away, leaving them alone in the alley.

Zach reached for Chris’s hand as they turned to go inside.

“So,” Zach said, as they stepped through the backstage door, “did I ever tell you that watching _The Little Mermaid_ is how I first realized that I was gay?”

  
**O OO**  


  
_(and they lived happily ever after)_  


~*~ The End~*~


End file.
